Gurpegui: "We haven't won the derby for two years and we want to change that"

His resilience and commitment to Athletic Club have earned him the captain’s armband. Carlos Gurpegui (b. Pamplona, 1980) spoke to the LFP.es team in the lead-up to the Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club, taking stock of the team and his professional career.

LFP.es: This weekend it’s time to visit the Anoeta. After so many years involved in them, do derbies remain a special experience? 
Carlos Gurpegui: They’re very nice matches and you always want to beat Real Sociedad because there’s a healthy rivalry, which the nice thing about football, and they’re always special matches. We haven’t been able to beat them for two years and we want to change that and give all the Athletic fans something to cheer about, because it’s a special game for them.

LFP.es: You are making progress in the Liga BBVA but in the Champions League you haven’t had the same luck. Has the team been critical of its performance in the competition? 
Gurpegui: The most important thing for getting out of difficult situations is to look at oneself and think about the things you’ve done well and what you haven’t done well, and analyse them, particularly the things you haven’t done well, and try to change them. We haven’t played to the standard that the competition requires. It’s a competition that makes you pay for your mistakes. In the Liga you have a lot of matchdays to turn it around, but in the Champions League if you have too bad games you’re out. 

LFP.es: What memories do you have from the Europa League? 
Gurpegui: My most recent memories are very good, save the final which left us with a very bitter taste in our mouths. But hey, the fact we reached a final and everything that means for us is really nice. That competition gave us a lot. Now we have the chance to play in it again and we’re aware that it’s the easiest competition to win because in the Copa del Rey at any moment you could go up against Real Madrid CF or FC Barcelona. So we hope to do well and take away the bad taste of the Champions League.

LFP.es: On a personal level, all your team-mates and former team-mates talk about you with great respect. What is your role as the captain of the team? 
Gurpegui: It’s not so important because it’s a very easy dressing room to lead, a very healthy dressing room. They’re all very good people and it’s a pleasure being with my team-mates. When things don’t go well, you try to transmit calm and explain that we have come through other bad situations. Everyone’s the same, whether we’ve just beaten Napoli or we haven’t won for nine games. They’re all very humble, very aware where we are and that we’re privileged. 

LFP.es: Having a manager like Ernesto Valverde, who knows the club’s philosophy, is always positive. What’s the atmosphere like in the dressing room with the boss? 
Gurpegui: Ernesto has a virtue which is to make everything simple and it provides a lot of normality to everything. Sometimes the difficult thing is to make things easy. He manages the groups well and has a special way of seeing football. We’re very happy with him because he knows us and several of us have worked with him before at other times. We’re very lucky to have him here.

LFP.es: How do you see the up-and-coming players like Unai López, Aketxe and Kepa? 
Gurpegui: They’re lads with a lot of quality. The Liga BBVA is really difficult and it’s always hard, but I’d tell them to be patient and work hard, because I can see they have the desire and hopefully we’ll have three or four players there for many years to come. They’re the future of Athletic, but they have to earn it and they have to work for it because nobody can just walk into the side. 

LFP.es: You have earned the affection not just of those you have worked with you, but also a very demanding group of fans, who know about football. Have you felt the warmth of the Rojiblancos supporters at difficult times? 
Gurpegui: I’ve felt that from the first day I arrived in the first team. In everything positive they have always got behind me and the last time I had a problem, which was with the Cristiano Ronaldo’s sending off last year, people behaved fantastically. I’m very grateful and I’m always going to have fond words for them because they’ve helped me a lot. My way to thank them is to train well and always try to play as well as possible on the field.

LFP.es: What do you remember of those difficult times when you were kept off the field? 
Gurpegui: They were tough, because I know I’m innocent and I spent two years without being able to play. For me football is one of the most important things together with the family and friends that I have. They were hard times, and I had to work hard to be a footballer again. It was very difficult because the first year I returned I didn’t play much and the fact is it’s not easy to overcome. I’m proud of how I coped with the whole process. 

LFP.es: You have said in the press that this could be your last year as a professional footballer. Have you really considered it? 
Gurpegui: Yes. First because my contract is up and I feel good but I don’t what could happen in March or April. It’s true that right now I want to enjoy training, enjoy playing when I get the chance. At the end of the season there are choices to be made. Ernesto is out of contract, so there are many things I have to weigh up and if I’m still playing it’s because there’s a manager who believes that I can add something to a team and because I feel good. I don’t want to be there for the sake of it.